Cap and Trade: Put Up or Shut Up

Don Surber has an interesting challenge to people pushing the "Cap and Tax Trade" bill:

Congresswoman Capito said the average family of four will pay and extra $1,750 a year to $3,000 a year.

Whoa. Even if that is not all added to the price of our electricity, I figure our electric bills will double.

[snip]

So here are my challenges to the cap-and-traders. They can go first, in one of two ways.

1. They can voluntarily reduce their electric use by one half. If they are using (as we do) 864 kilowatt hours a month now, they should cut down to 432 kilowatt hours a month. That is what they want me to do.

2. They can voluntarily double the amount of money they pay for electricity. It is simple. If they are paying $66 a month for electricity now, they should pay $132 a month. Appalachian Power makes it easy by having a little check box: “The WV Utility Assistance program helps disadvantaged customers pay their electric bill. I want to help. My payment reflects my gift of $___.”

Word.

Except that the leftie canon is not about actually, you know, solving the stated problem. It's about making lefties feel good about themselves while they force everyone else to do what they want. Just look at charitable contributions.

Other programs enacted by the "friends of the little guy" over the last 30 years include higher gas taxes, higher cigarette taxes, higher liquor taxes, and higher payroll (Social Security/Medicare) taxes.

I have a post category for Security Kabuki. Perhaps I should have one for Compassion Kabuki as well?